Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-23
FAUST.
A Description of the Ftends' Car.
ufyal-MOrrisOn as m ephistO.

nival-MOrrisOna as mePhistO.
The production of mastery drama
tization of this acknowledged master
piece of German poetry, on a grand
spectacular scale, is an event OF more
than ordinary interest. Tomorrow even.
ing, Mr.. Lewis Morrison makes his ap-
pearance in the character OF Mephis-
topheles, q creation he has successfully
played in all the great Eastern cities,
and has been greeted by one univer-
sal verdict from the press and people,
the greatest delineator of that style of
character in the world The New
York Times, in speaking of his per.
formance, says: .Mr. MORRISON ad-
heres to stage tradition; in his inter.
probation Of the part, he is Goethe's
devil, anti.sentimentalst, cynic, Philis.
tine, humorist. His physical limp is
reflected in his mind. He is fiend,
mocking fiend, but there is at times a
spiritual dignity in face and figure that
lifts the character into the front rank
of intellectually. There is one scene
where he looks like a fallen Dante,
and there is no moment IN the play
when he is not equal to the supreme
demands OF the character"
The scenery of which the company
carries two special Car loads, is all
from the brush of VIM. Voegtin, the
famous scene painter, and includes two
correct views of the medieval City of
Nuremberg, The Plaza of the Fountain,
The Angel Apotheoss and the Summit
of the Brocken on Walpurgis Night
which is the sensation act of the play.
The curtain rises on q cold. dreary noun
tain. wierd in its desolation, and awful
in its majestic grandeur, the moon
shrouded by dark foggy clouds, shedding
its rays only through truant crevlces in
its ethereal mask; beautiful silvery
waterfall falling from an enormous
height, finding its way to the bottom of
the dark mountain. Thick haze is seen
arising on all sides, filling the air with
white vapor, while from every corner,
the wild shrieks and sounds of nameless
animals are heard.
Faust led by ephistopheles is seen
climbing to the top of towering rock,
which overlooks the stage. The DEVILS
appearance is accompanied by loud peals
OF thunder and flashes of lightning. A
sudden flight of witches crosses the yell
low disc of the moon, flock of owls
flap their solemn wings through the
night. Strange, namelsss beings and
goblin spectres, half men. half beasts,
chattering imps, old bearded men and
ghost.like women, swarm out from the
mountain sides with unearthly shrieks
and cries, deep grave chants and songs.
Mephistopheles joins their Internal
revels and leads the mocking laughs,
for it is wierd mixture of hellish Joy
and fiendish torment; strange calls from
rocky cliffs below are heard and
answered. An old, old man is seen
climbing the high rock, tortured by tiny
tiends who cling to his legs, yelling and
laughing; he throws them off, but they
only return to taunt him further; pres.
emily he reaches the top; with yell of
delight, he poses for an instant-but
only for an instant-for the devil, see-
ing his Joy, kicks him, aud he goes roll
ing down the slope to the bottom;
thereupon the whole hellish crew set up
q wild, hideous laugh, and Mephis.
topheles springng to his feet exclaims,
Vanish! and in an instant everything
disappears, the moon goes out, the water.
fall becomes extinct, the demons-and
all becomes dark ness, and all the audi
ence beholds is Mephistopheles standing
at his full height. in red glow, proud
of his title-the Prince of Darkness.
After moments pause, he again calls
on the motley throng and they once
more begin their peculiar revels, when
as if by magic the whole scene turns
red, the moon and waterfall red, thun.
derbolt flies through the air. and:
shower of fire descends on the huddling
mass in front, who fill the air with their
shrieks and groans as the curtain falls
on an act which has never failed to cause
q sensation. Mr.. Brady, the stage mana
ger of the company. is here ahead of the
troupe rehearsing the auxiliaries neces-
sary for the production; the scenery,
which has also arrived, is all in place,
and smooth performance tomorrow
night ought to be certainty.